Category: A Beer Pong World

Every so often we’ll catch a glimpse of a celebrity or famous name playing a game of beer pong. In recent years, we’ve enjoyed “private” pictures or footage of the likes of Justin Bieber, Carmen Electra, and even the great Michael Jordan stepping up to the table to play a good ol’ fashioned game of pong.

Jimmy Fallon has also run a few pong bits, which has given us the pleasure of checking out some of our favorite celebs’ pong games over the years. Jennifer Garner, Kate Bosworth, Maria Sharapova, Salma Hayek, Kathie Lee Gifford, Sofia Vergara, Anna Kournikova, Naomi Watts, Helen Hunt and perhaps my favorite, Betty White (amongst others) have all stepped to the table to play The Tonight Show host.

This past weekend provided us with some more celebrity pong action. This time, not even the Secret Service could keep the photos from surfacing all over the internet!

Seventeen-year-old, Malia Obama, was spotted at a Brown University party knocking down cups on a beer pong table at a dorm party. Yes, that would be The President of the United States of America’s daughter.

Although her current game/experience can be assumed as prototypical, as the cups in the picture are clearly red party cups sitting on top of a presumably disassembled door, she still has lots of time to take her game to the next level! (Don’t worry Dad, we don’t put beer in our game cups or force any consumption. So she’s safe with us!)

Who knows, maybe she’s getting her game on point to try and become the first female to ever win The World Series of Beer Pong!! It would be a very impressive and unconventional, yet, synergetic feat to add to the family legacy! (Although, her shot would likely need to be a bit better than her old man’s jump shot in order to walk away with the big check one day!)

For more information on The World Series of Beer Pong or anything related to Beer Pong, please reach out to us at [email protected]!

Thanks a lot, Manus Shannon! If you haven’t heard, a few weeks back Manus was arrested after a heated game of beer pong at a party on Chicago’s south side.

Manus attempted the good ol’ classic distraction of pulling out your pistol and pointing it at your opponent’s face to try and get them to miss. Now, while this move is obviously practiced on a regular basis (sense our sarcasm?), Manus had to ruin it for all of us by actually shooting his opponent.

Props to Manus for hitting the kid in the finger, which essentially guarantees he’ll win since his opponent can no longer pick up the ball; however, he also lodged that slug in some unfortunate gentleman’s shoulder, who was just sitting behind the table texting, waiting his turn at the table.

This is likely the reason Sig Sauer yanked their Best of the Midwest VI sponsorship for the big, upcoming Chicago pong event in September. The sponsorship would have given all participants a free gun at the door with paid entry. I thought by this point, the rules on using a gun in your defensive strategy were clear cut. If you are going to fire your gun for distraction purposes, you should discharge it blindly, straight up into the air.

If you haven’t detected the sarcasm in this satire piece, this is clearly a joke. OBVIOUSLY, if you are playing a little pong, professionally or at a party, DON’T PULL OUT A GUN in an attempt to create a miss.

I do feel slightly bad for the guy, seeing as he does have a permit to own, carry and conceal a gun, so at least the weapon was legal. However, Manus still is facing charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and, last we heard, he was being held on a $100,000 bond.

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An even crazier side to this story is that Manus’s arresting officer has actually played in 9 out of 10 World Series of Beer Pong Main Events! How amusing would it be to see that local CPD Officer team up with Manus at the World Series of Beer Pong XI?! Seems like the ultimate web redemption to me. #TOSH.O

Of course, that’s pending the approval of his long-time teammate lending his talents to Manus. Team “MANBEARBIG” put up one of their best World Series of Beer Pong runs at WSOBP IX, propelling themselves into the playoff bracket on Day 3 with an 11-1 record.

For more information about The World Series of Beer Pong, visit bpong.com/wsobp/.

We here at BPONG listen to our players and do the best we can to accommodate requests and implement quality ideas to our daily operations. Often, players use comparisons to other professional sporting leagues/organizations during discussions that periodically are responsible for generating some of those quality ideas.

One such comparison that happens to differ between BPONG and our “slightly” more experienced cohorts is the developmental programs that are available for players to participate in before taking their game to the next level.

Rooted in little league ball diamonds, pee-wee football fields and 7-foot basketball hoops; youth athletic programming is alive and well across the country; helping future athletes learn the basics of their favorite sports! Beyond that, those who fall in love continue to play throughout the various levels of high school and college athletics. Yet, this still is not the last stop (for some) before getting the opportunity to make a name for themselves within their sports professional circuit. Minor leagues, Developmental leagues, Scout leagues, Independent leagues, amongst various others are all also a part of the process, beyond the college athletic years, when pursuing a professional career for a lot of the athletes we admire in today’s games.

Obviously, BPONG has yet to break into the wide world of youth athletics and probably is still quite some time away from doing so. (Maybe not? Check out these little guys knocking down some cups.)

However, the disparity gap between implementing similar high school and college programming may not be as far off as it may seem.

(For those of you who are not aware, we here in the big leagues play with water in our game cups and DO NOT require ANY liquid consumption of ANY kind within our official tournament rules for a plethora of reasons. We like to have a whole lot of fun, create life-long friendships, fierce competition and win prizes/money!! So we thought we could sacrifice dumping beer down our gullets every time someone makes a shot in order to be able do that. (Legally, responsibly and sanitarily.) Though we definitely won’t discourage our of age players from responsibly enjoying a couple cold ones if they are available.)

In any case, these rules open up the potential for players under the age of 21 to enjoy the game we all love to play within a controlled environment. It gives parents and university recreational programs alike, a unique opportunity to extend a desirable “taboo” social experience onto younger generations without having to worry about any negative repercussions. The most positive aspect of this unique experience is unveiling an alternative way to play the game that has a greater participation substance established, in place of playing to get drunk. In theory, we hope this will help deter underage players from giving into the temptation to play “the real way” (that they will undoubtedly eventually get exposed to) and subjecting themselves to a situation that could potentially harm their future.

Around the country we have affiliated associations and organizations that offer these types of accommodations to interested groups. Hailing from Michigan, the Founder and CEO of Beer Pongers Anonymous (BPA), Joey Irimescu, is a sparkling example of just how family friendly our sport can be! While BPA offers a variety of public events on a weekly basis throughout the state, BPA also caters to private and corporate parties. A huge hit for BPA has been high school graduation parties!

Check out these youngsters putting on a show on the final table of a BPA graduation event!

(Notice the water in the cups, the complete absence of any alcohol whatsoever and just how much fun the entire group is having!)

If you are in the Michigan area and would like more information about BPA, please visit their website at www.beerpongersanonymous.com/. Also, make sure you check out BPA on Facebook and Instagram! To connect with BPA directly to book an event: Email – [email protected]

If you are outside of the Michigan area and are interested in hosting a private, corporate or public event, drop us a line ([email protected]) and we’ll get you taken care of!

Recently, Susan Bonifant of the Washington Post wrote a piece on her first experience playing beer pong with her college junior son on a North Carolina campus during a “snowpocalypse” party, of which, cancelled all classes.

Without knowing it, Susan perfectly outlined so many details of what makes the sport of professional pong and the beer pong community such an incredible and unique family to be a part of.

A revelation took place within Susan in regards to her perspective on what it means to be “old”. This phenomenon is not a new concept for us here at BPONG.COM. Fortunately, for us and some of our players/organizers, we’ve got the pleasure to watch this exact scenario play out at various tournaments across the country, including at The World Series of Beer Pong itself!

An extremely rare feature within the sports world that professional pong can proudly claim is that player participation limitations are ageless. Meaning, the physical demand that eventually claims the ability it takes to play most any competitive sport does not exist within “beer” pong. Hence, how an individual that may view themselves as “old” can experience the adrenaline rush that drives a youthful competitive spirit.

Whether this experience is a revival of a former athlete or a brand new emotional high for someone who has never had the opportunity to feel the satisfaction of conquering another team in any sort of organized competitive fashion, beer pong can be a fun rush. The thirst that’s quenched after being able to feel that competitive spirit many had no choice but to leave in their high school/college locker is often so fulfilling. It’s difficult to not be able to blatantly see the youthful joy on a player’s face.

The thrill of learning, growing, and succeeding in new experiences is more commonly prevalent in any particular individuals youth versus the years spent rhythmically succeeding within the niche career they’ve chosen. Beer pong has proven, time and again, to disrupt that rhythm for pre-millennial generations. It provides a unique platform to connect with later generations, often stemming from one’s own children getting their first opportunity to teach their parents something, as was the case with Susan.

Though professional beer pong tournaments tend to be competitive, success is enjoyed and measured on many different levels that make the game enjoyable for all ages, regardless of where you ultimately place in any given tournament. For the mother competing in her first game with her son surrounded by a flock of his closest bros at a “snowpocalypse” party, a single made shot seemingly fields a similar reaction to a rowdy group of friends watching their buddy cash in on a $50,000 check after finally taking down that World Series of Beer Pong title, after nearly a decade of efforts.

So, in our opinion, and as Susan has discovered, you are never too old to play a little beer pong.

_On a Side Note_

Susan also obliviously provided us here in the pong big leagues a quality scouting report of how our future stars are developing on college campuses across the country! Look at you guys being all responsible and using water in your game cups. (Please, always drink responsibly.)

You guys were also giving parents tips on following through using your wrist!! Looks like the young guns have ditched the heave and are figuring out some shot mechanics before gracing a BPONG table at an official tournament; impressive, gentlemen.

Your mother was just one small detail away from filling me with so much pride that I would have been so overwhelmed, I likely would have had to hop a flight to North Carolina and personally ran a WSOBP XI. Satellite tournament myself for that campus!

Leaving me only one final piece of advice for her if she ever does enter the professional circuit – lean or get leaned on, Susan.

According to AskMen.com, there’s only a 40% chance you’ll sink that cup!Ahh…, statistics in beer pong. These are definitely something we here at BPONG.COM have put a lot of thought into how to regulate and track.

Although, a cohesive system has yet to be perfected that accurately tracks and maintains player’s statistics from all the BPONG tournaments that people participate in around the country; we as a community, have done more than our fair share of projecting our own and our opponent’s shooting percentages.

The term “hundo” is thrown around by players pretty casually, though, most “hundo’s” seem to have a bit of a Reap-like smell to them.

(For those of you who might be lost, “hundo” is a reference to shooting 100% in a beer pong game. “Reap-hundo” is a term players use to reference a player claiming to have shot 100% in a game but had actually missed shots during that game.)

Even considering that the majority of the claims at shooting 100% in a game are likely inaccurate, there are players who do achieve this feat on a semi-regular basis, especially within the professional pong circuit. However, perfect games are not the only thing that seems to get exaggerated from time to time; players also tend to forget a good handful of misses when manually calculating a tournament shooting percentage estimate. Until a platform to track, record and store shot-for-shot statistics in pong is developed, we can only take our best guess at how well we actually shoot in any particular tournament.

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Ian Lang of askmen.com and mathematician Dominic Spadacene break it down by the numbers, of which, will likely bring some of your self-shooting percentage projections back down to earth.

Dominic uses geometry to calculate the actual likelihood of a ball landing in a cup when a pong ball is thrown in the direction of the cups.

The mathematician’s formula never gives a player more than a 40% chance of making a shot, even with a full 10-rack set up! A clean shot (doesn’t hit the rim and bounce in), is projected to happen about 27% of the time. (Note: These calculations were NOT done with Official BPONG cups. Considering the smaller dimensions of BPONG cups vs. general party cups, these percentages likely would be even less if calculated on Official BPONG cups!)

Obviously, this does not account for the skills that a professional pong player possesses, but it does reveal an origin for performance evaluation. Now if we could only talk John Brenkus into considering all the other variables of a pro ponger’s shot to really get a good idea on just how well someone could actually shoot over the course of an entire tournament!

Jahlil Okafor plays beer pong to determine which NBA team he will play for.

The NBA draft is scheduled to begin at 7:30 ET on June 25th, and consensus top two pick Jahlil Okafor has recently taken to the beer pong table to hypothetically determine his professional basketball fate. (While the table used does not appear to be regulation size, this is a method of decision making that we at BPONG.COM completely support!) Armed with a table tennis ball, similar to the ones used in the actual draft, the 6’11” Center began eliminating possible teams one shot at a time. He was eventually faced with a two-rack consisting of Philadelphia and New York. The Duke University athlete intentionally eliminated (we’d like to assume) the 76ers pronouncing the Knicks his team of choice.

Okafor claimed to have never participated in the game before (roll eyes), as it would have been expected for there to have been beer in the cups if so. Little does he know, that if he were to step up his game and play on a professional level, utilizing official World Series of Beer Pong rules, there is no drinking required.

When it came to his natural beer pong talent, Jahlil Okafor showed strong form while consistently making the cups he had aimed for. Just imagine how much more promise the 19-year-old could show if he was leaning over the table, a legal maneuver in the professional circuit. Certainly his 89” wingspan would aid him in any future participation in the game we love so dearly.

However, his height and length would not even be his greatest strength in beer pong. His competitive nature and mental toughness has already been tested through his years of high level basketball. If Okafor can perform on the court in a national championship, with thousands of opposing fans maliciously berating him, the foul words of a beer pong opponent defending him should have little effect.

Seeing Jahlil Okafor grace the tables of a BPONG event would certainly be a dream for many players and organizers alike. Considering the addictive nature of this game and the amazing community, we’re sure his first event would absolutely not be his last.

And one last thing: Jahlil, could you please have a conversation with Sir Charles Barkley on our behalf since he said that “black people don’t play beer pong”? Not only was he clearly wrong, you chose the sport of beer pong to help make the important determination of where you should hypothetically land in the NBA, which was a great choice, by the way.

Check out Bleacher Report to watch Jahlil smash cups before he walks across the stage and shakes Adam Silver’s hand on draft day.

This past week we lost a budding legend within our beer pong community. Sharing this news and reflecting on the matter has been one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. Zach Gilkison’s life was tragically taken by the deliberate actions of another on April 16th, 2015.

The immediate impact on those closest to Zach and the greater beer pong community was evident when news swept through social media, causing an outpour of emotion.

Within hours of the news reaching the pong community, there were thousands of pictures, posts, toasts, and tribute videos circulating through social media steaming from friends and players. The beer pong community and others donated thousands of dollars over the course of just a few days to help Zach’s family cover the expenses caused by his tragic passing.

The reaction to Zach’s passing speaks volumes to not only the type of player he was and how much he meant to this sport and organization but also to the type of human being he was. Zach made a substantial and lasting impact on everyone that met him within both the beer pong community and outside the community as well.

Zach’s genuine heart and authentic smile helped him reach so many people on a personal level. People envied and idolized the “Cincinnasty” in him. Players will remember Zach’s game for the tenacity and passion with which he ponged.

While reflecting on Zach’s life and passion for both beer pong and The World Series of Beer Pong, we spent some time digging through thousands of past event photos in search of pictures of Zach doing what he loved best. Two things really jumped out to us while we were reliving the past through pictures:

(1) The first thing that really jumped out was the set of pictures we found from WSOBP V. It was not the pictures of Zach fighting his way to an impressive 7th place finish with a record of 14-5, +15 that stood out. Instead, it was the pictures of the championship match that grabbed our attention. Despite Zach no longer being in the tournament, he was there, front and center (two people away from Facetime), enthusiastically and passionately watching the Championship Match. These pictures captured the incredible passion Zach had for the game.

(2) The second thing that grabbed our attention had to make us laugh a little: Zach had a certain unique style and look, as well as a certain way of always tilting his hat in the same direction. This greatly helped us while searching through thousands of pictures, and we had to smile when we started spotting him in pictures from the back while quickly going through so many.

Reflecting on what Zach has meant to the pong community and me personally has not been easy. I felt uncertain about what to say or if anything should be said at all, especially in view of the conflict Zach and the BPONG staff had at the last WSOBP, for which I believe Zach and I thankfully had the opportunity to find peace (based on conversations we had). I was fearful that making a public statement could distract from the community’s positive reflection of Zach’s life, but after talking to some of Zach’s friends, I am convinced that Zach would have wanted nothing less than for me to publicly reflect on who he was as both a player and a person.

As one of Zach’s friends told me, he believed in the sport of beer pong, and he believed in BPONG. He believed in and loved all of you. He was a prime example of what an ideal professional player and person should embody. Not only did he have an extraordinary talent and purse thousands over his career, but he was also a true ambassador of the game. Without question, he is one of the greatest players, in both ability and character, in the history of this young sport.

Zach’s legacy will live on forever in this sport. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that his legacy impacts even those that do not yet know him. If you had not previously heard the name Zach “Cincinnasty” Gilkison, I assure you that this article will not be the last you will hear his name if you continue to follow the pong community.

To everyone who was touched by this tragedy, my deepest condolences go out to you. I ask that you all help me ensure that Zach’s legend lives on and ensure that his life will continue to positively impact the lives of both current and future pong players.

RIP – Zach Gilkison: 9/25/87 – 4/16/15

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Visitation will be held from 6 PM until time of service at 8:30 PM, Friday, April 24th at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, 5950 Kellogg Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45230.

Immediately following visitation and services, Lebos Sports Bar and Grill will be hosting a tournament for friends and relatives to commemorate and celebrate the life of one of the game’s greats.

We all know the art of distraction within a high-pressure beer pong game is a team trait that could serve as the straw that breaks your opponents’ backs. The higher your beer pong level gets, the more complex your distraction tactics must be. Save the waving of the hands over cups while your opponents toss for the amateur basement parties.

Another component of beer pong, most sensible for higher level players, involves that of camaraderie. Feeling supported by your fellow players and having them feel supported by you is the basis of family, and family is what you should feel like to truly excel. We’ve seen it before. High-stake tournaments where skill levels are ridiculous, and one negative emotional rift between teammates gives the whole game to the opposing, positively encouraging team. Wah wah.

In our attempts to improve your beer pong game in every way, our researchers at BPONG.COM believe costumes take these concepts to the next level. Without having to say a word to your opponent, your silly and maybe-even-obnoxious costumes will speak volumes. Imagine this: your team is in The World Series of Beer Pong finals. The glittery Las Vegas energy is coursing through the veins of every WSOBP attendant while the tension rises rapidly. Either you or your opponents will be going home with $50,000. The other team got matching shirts made. Is that a team logo I see? That’s legit. Somewhat intimidating even. What did you do to keep up? Simple.

Your girlfriends broke out their hot glue guns and you bought yards of felt and stuffing. After crafting the most beautifully symmetrical nipples as cherries on top, you are ready to go as the most infamous pair in history – boobs. Your eyes don’t leave your opponents’ tossing hands. You only smirk when you’ve made a shot. Your game is fierce, but your costume yells, WE ARE FUN AS HELL. The crowd giggles and cheers as you waddle around, making cup after cup, serving as an active thorn in the side of your opponents. Every shot you make hits them a little harder, because, after all, they’re getting whooped by a pair of titties, for lack of a better word. There is no better word.

What better time to start considering costumes than Halloween time? The World Series of Beer Pong is two months away, and as you know, Halloween is this week. Savvy BPONGers: Choose your Halloween costume wisely so it can double as your game-changing World Series of Beer Pong distraction tool. Chicks love savvy dudes.

Beer Pong is considered a drinking game that’s mostly popular on college campuses. The game’s played with cups and balls. The cups are half filled with beer and are arranged in a triangle shape starting with 3 cups at the farthest edge of the table, descending to the one cup ascending closer to the center of the table. It’s usually played 1 on 1, 2 on 2, or sometimes even 3 on 3. There’s usually a small ritual to determine which team will go first, such as rock paper scissors, a coin flip, etc.

The object of the game is for one person to throw two of their balls into a cup at the other end of the table. If the balls go into the cups of the opposite team, the cup is removed from the game, often with the team drinking the beer in the cups. The balls are thrown until there is a miss of both balls, then it’s the other team’s turn. Most people have a bucket to clean splashes off the table and to keep the cups drinkable.

There are different ways the game can be played. The balls can be bounced into the cups, the balls can bounce once inside the cups, or the balls cannot bounce once inside the cups. Creativity and imagination have possibly spawned other derivations of how the game can be played.

Sometimes the teams are allowed to reshape the cups to make them easier to throw the balls into.
2 Major Rules to Live By in BPONG:

“Sink cups”. No matter what version of the game you play, you’ll almost never win unless you know how to put balls into cups with precision. Again and again and again.”

Don’t let your parents win often. You spent their hard earned money to attend college and get good at this game. Maybe let Grandma win every so often so she thinks she still has it, but don’t make your parents start to doubt that they spent good money only to produce a subpar pong player.”

The game stands to get more complicated, and just as in playing games of cards, there are different names for the different challenges the game offers. There are names for the shots that it is possible to make with the balls. These names coincide with which game of the many in beer pong is being played.

Many moves in beer pong can be described as “tricks”, such as the twirling 360 and the acrobatic Under the Leg, as well as the lazy blindfold. (“Look, Ma! No Eyes!”) But the finest beer pong tricks take more imagination. The best beer pong performances involve props–other objects other than ball and cup, intermediaries, if you will, in the communion between player and cup. In no particular order, here are the five best beer pong tricks:

Number 5: The Skipping Rock: Place at least two small tables between you and the cup. Gently toss the ball in a soft overhand arc, and watch the happy bouncing and sinking. Drink.

Number 4: The Tiger Woods: This is a variation on the Skipping Rock, except using a golf club. Use irons or wedges for maximum loft. Tee optional. Drink.

Number 3: The William Tell: Place a clipboard or similar object at a 45-degree angle on a chair. Stand ten feet across the room from the chair and place the cup on top of your head. Close your eyes and toss the ball with a zippy overhand arc. Wait for the ball to land in the cup. Drink.

Number 2: The Happy Camper: Find a triple-decker bunk bed. If you don’t have one in your dormitory, dive in the largest dumpsters in your neighborhood. Place the cup at one end of the lowest bunk, making sure that that the end of the bunk is flush with a wall. Stand at the other end of the bunk and energetically bounce the ball on the middle bunk and the bottom of the top bunk until it hits the wall and lands in the cup. Drink.

Number 1: The Traveling Punk: Place the cup on a skateboard. Place the skateboard at one end of a gauntlet of three clipboards or similar flat objects arranged on chairs. Gently push the skateboard so it sails down the middle of the gauntlet. Bounce the ball hard off the nearest clipboard at an angle so it hits the next clipboard and the next, bouncing off all three on its way to meeting the cup at the gauntlet’s end. Drink.

Technology has changed the way we play beer pong. From new equipment to high-stakes games via Skype, beer pong is alive and well in the virtual world.

Budweiser is now taking beer drinking a step further.

The self-proclaimed King of Beers recently announced “The Buddy Cup,” a state-of-the-art drinking glass which can connect fellow drinkers to each other on Facebook, with a simple clink of a glass.

Feel like creeping on that cute girl at the beer pong tournament? Clink her glass. You want to remind that guy you just met he owes you $20 for a cash game? Clink his glass. Forget your iPhone to add someone on Facebook? Clink their glass. The Buddy Cup will revolutionize the way we interact, and stalk, our fellow beer pong players. The possibilities are endless.

The cups are currently being unveiled in Brazil, and there is no word on if and when these new Buddy Cups will appear in the U.S. I, for one, will be patiently waiting.

This just in: According to a recent article by the Associated Press, dirty beer pong balls may transfer harmful bacteria.

Duh. In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.

The article is based on a study by a group of ClemsonUniversity students, majoring in Pointless Studies, who found bacteria such as salmonella, listeria, e. Coli and staph on balls being used in beer pong games around campus. According to the report, the students found more than 3 million tiny bacteria on balls being used outdoors, compared to 200 indoors. Unbelievably, when these balls were transferred to the cups of beers, the bacteria was transmitted as well.

You don’t say.

Obviously, ClemsonUniversity students need to do a better job of washing their hands. And really, folks, that goes for everyone reading this. When did washing our hands become such a task? You go to the bathroom, you do your business, and you wash your hands. It takes 10 seconds. I can’t even count how many times people go to the bathroom during the World Series of Beer Pong and don’t wash their hands, and then go right out and play a game. Do you want someone’s pissy hands in the precious few cups of beer you get to drink each game? I don’t. Occasionally, you may see someone do a “guilt rinse” under the sink, just because he sees you standing there, but those times are few and far between.

The Pong Flu is not a myth, guys. It is a cruel, incurable disease which afflicts hundreds of us each January. We must do more to protect ourselves, and that includes washing our hands.

Excluding the World Series of Beer Pong, though, I can’t remember the last time I regularly played with beer in my cups. Taking that into consideration, this study doesn’t really mean anything to me.

Even our own Billy Gaines, the Godfather of Beer Pong himself, was quoted in the article.

“‘Maybe there is something there [regarding the Pong Flu],’ Gains [sic] said. ‘But I think it is nothing to do with being sick. I think they are partying all night and get worn down.’”

Amen, brother. But at the same time, everyone should do each other a solid and wash their hands.

When I was a kid, my arcade days were spent playing Street Fighter II, NBA Jam and Cruis’n USA. I was also pretty good at Hoop Shot, despite my non-existent basketball skills. I grew up playing old school and Super Nintendo. By the time Nintendo 64 came out, I was pretty much past the video game stage of my life.

My old roommate had a Nintendo Wii, so when “Game Party” came out a few years ago, I had to buy it. Why would I buy a video game for a system I didn’t even own? Beer pong, of course. There was a part of this game that allowed you to play a version of video game beer pong. It was terribly done and not very fun at all, much to my disappointment.

Despite this, I could barely contain my excitement the other day when I learned about a new beer pong video game, “Beer Pong Master,” maybe one of the most revolutionary games ever created.

The game seems to work like any standard arcade game. You insert your money and try to get the highest score. Games feature 1-4 players, and you’ve got 60 seconds to hit all 10 cups. Cups on the screen will dim as they are hit, and with no re-racks, it will take some skill to hit all 10 in under a minute. There also appears to be some kind of tape line. Obviously, there isn’t any beer in the cups, but it still sounds pretty awesome.

A few of these have been spotted in Las Vegas already. Have you seen any in your area? Is this something you’d like to play?

Before you get too defensive, hear me out. No, I’m not one of those idiot Facebook politicians who are bashing Obama, chiming in on gun reform or healthcare, or pushing some other stupid agenda. Yes, this goes for the Liberals too. But I came across an excellent story recently that makes me wish I lived in Massachusetts.

We always hear about how terrible beer pong is for today’s youth. It leads to binge drinking from underage college students, drunk driving, violence, gambling, etc. In fact, in most bars across the country laws regulate that cups be filled with water, not beer. Such a terrible game, that beer pong, right?

Wrong. Enter Massachusetts State Rep. Daniel Winslow. Not sure how this news escaped me, but less than two years ago Winslow held a beer pong(!!!!!!) political (!!!) networking (!!!!) fundraiser (!!!!!!)! Check out the link to the Facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/events/159330014148290/

Daniel Winslow, not that any of you degenerates in Massachusetts are registered to vote, is one of three Republicans running in the 2013 Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate. What does that mean? I’m not totally sure, but I mean, the guy did hold a beer pong fundraiser. I’m amazed. If you live in Massachusetts and don’t vote for the guy, you’re doing the beer pong community a great disservice.

It’s Friday night and you feel alright and the party is on the Westside. You’re having a great time partying with your friends, drinking, and playing some beer pong. Maybe you have just won or maybe you just lost and quickly signed your name on the inside of an
empty 30-pack to call next game. And then it happens.

“Hey guys, let’s play flip cup instead so more people can play!”

Is there anything more annoying than being nagged about playing flip cup when you’re busy playing beer pong? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind flip cup. It has its moments and it can be fun at times. I especially like “Survivor Flip Cup,” when the weakest link of
the losing team gets voted off after each loss. But flip cup isn’t beer pong.

These days, Americans are too soft. Everyone wants to be politically correct. Every kid in little league these days gets a trophy, because they don’t think anyone should feel left out. Kids aren’t punished or spanked anymore, unless you want your child taken away by social services. Shit, they wouldn’t even let us play dodge ball in high school because they were afraid of kids being hurt. Flip cup is the equivalent of that. Why shouldn’t everyone get the chance to play at once when you’ve earned the right to stay on the table?
The worst is that dude that loses in beer pong and then starts advocating for flip cup. Let’s call it what it is. Flip cup is for people who aren’t good at beer pong.

Beer pong is truly the survival of the fittest. Everyone gets a chance to play. If you win, you get to continue playing. If you lose, you either need to find a better partner and wait for your chance at redemption, or suck it up and go play Asshole at the kitchen table with
the other people who aren’t good enough to play beer pong.

No one remembers an awesome game of flip cup, but we can all remember with great detail some of our greatest beer pong triumphs. We remember the times we ran the tables all night. We remember how many games we won in a row and how many shots we
made. We remember playing for drinks or money. It’s the greatest combination of getting drunk and playing sports that you can easily find. And since we all think we’re the best, we have no shortage of people willing to challenge us.

And then there are the distractions. I think we’ve all seen in person or on certain websites the things some people are willing to go to distract the opponent. How can you not love watching that stuff? You can’t distract people or talk trash in flip cup. If you’re playing
cards, it’s enough of a task just to remember the rules while you’re playing, let alone talk trash. But it’s half of the fun in beer pong.

Beer pong is also a great way to meet people. If you’re shy, you can use it as an icebreaker. I once dedicated a few shots to a girl at a party and made them. We ended up dating. Who knows, maybe your partner will be impressed with your skill. Even for someone terrible at beer pong, they will still get lucky and make a shot or two. You can’t mingle during a flip cup game. If someone is terrible at flip cup, they will fail at flipping the cup a few times and the game is over. It’s not nearly as fun.

So next time you’re running the beer pong table at a house party and someone suggests flip cup, tell them to find another table. Or a beer pong partner.

I’ve read countless articles about the history and origin of beer pong. It seems that every one comes back to some particular fraternity or college. Apparently, modern day beer pong was invented in almost every small liberal arts college up and down the East Coast. To think, some college kids just looking to entertain themselves when it was freezing outside decided to invent a drinking game to play inside. What a groundbreaking revelation!

According to Wikipedia, which is the definitive source for any kind of research, beer pong started at Dartmouth College sometime in the 1950s and 1960s. But at the same time, Bucknell University claims to have invented the game in the 1970s. They called it “throw pong.” What kind of stupid name is “throw pong,” anyway? These are college kids, and the best they can come up with is “throw pong?”

The whole name debate also bothers me. I’ve met maybe a handful of people my entire life who referred to the game as “beirut.” It’s called beer pong. There is no game called “beirut.” If you use a paddle, it’s called ping pong, not beer pong, not beirut. Beirut is the
capital of Lebanon and probably not the best place to spend a Friday night with a 30-pack of Keystone Light. Ping pong is played with paddles and does not include beer, unless you are drinking it on the side. Forrest Gump used to hit ping pong balls into a bedpan
during the Vietnam War. You mean to tell me Forrest Gump was playing one of the earliest forms of beer pong ever documented? I may not be a smart man, but I know what beer pong is.

Too many people try to complicate the simple game of beer pong. It’s not rocket science, guys. Beer pong is throwing a ping pong ball into a cup. If you’re at a house party, you’re probably drinking the contents of said cup afterward. If you’re playing WSOBP rules at a
bar, you probably aren’t drinking the cup because that would be illegal in some cities. Beer pong is like ramen noodles, everyone has their own way. Personally, I don’t like to follow the directions. I boil the noodles, drain the noodles, add the chicken seasoning and add some cayenne pepper and call it Buffalo Chicken Ramen Noodles. It’s delicious.

I know a guy who breaks an egg into his while it cooks. That’s good, too. Not to get sidetracked, but I’m always looking for good ramen noodle recipes, so please share your favorite. But the fact remains: There is no wrong way to play beer pong.

Sure, there is a World Series of Beer Pong which has its own set of rules, but that’s not the only way to play. In case you live under a rock, WSOBP rules basically consist of playing with 10 cups and a special rack to keep the cups in place. There are automatic re-
racks on the six-cup, three-cup, and one-cup formations. If you make both shots, you get one bring-back. When the last cup is made, the opposing team generally gets a one ball and a shoot-till-you-miss opportunity. It can get more complicated, but that’s the basics. Oh yeah, there is no elbow rule. We’ll save that discussion for another time.

While WSOBP rules are fun and all, I still have love for “house rules.” Most of us grew up playing beer pong according to specific house rules. From my experiences, I’ve found most house rules consist of playing with 6 cups or 10 cups, depending on how many people are waiting to play. Usually you get unlimited bring-backs, shoot-till-you-miss rebuttal shots, and rules dictating that you have to drink before you shoot. And no, you can’t lean across the table. If you win, you get to stay on the table. Of course, house rules vary depending on where you are playing, but those tend to be the most common.

There is no right or wrong way to play beer pong. The important thing is that you’re playing beer pong. What rules did you play by? Which rules do you think are the best?